Welcome to Edition 11
As 2020 draws to an end, its depressing, but not unusual to note that only 40% of the required $351.7m for Uganda's refugee response is funded. This perennial under-funding obviously impacts everyone's ability to provide an appropriate and satisfactory response, while durable solutions remain a distant ambition and the causes of forced displacement in the region continue. So it should be all doom and gloom, but it isn't - despite the "usual" problems and this year's unique problems, refugees are still accessing support and assistance and researchers and responders continue to provide, learn and grow - as can be seen by the amount of entries in this month's newsletter So with our efforts now focusing on 2021 and as the holidays approach for many (and given this is the last newsletter before the new year), I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all your hard work in 2020 and for continuing to support and subscribe to this newsletter. I wish you all courage, perseverance and fortitude for 2021!
Sector specific:
Education:
Curriculum of Global Migration and Transnationalism - (paid for content) - includes a chapter on Uganda - the authors of this collection explore the multifaceted implications of movement for curriculum, teaching and learning, teacher education, cultural proactive, as well as education research and policy.
Technology-enhanced higher education for refugees - (paid for content)
Financial Literacy Training Toolkit for Refugees - this toolkit customized to meet the needs and realities of refugees and refugee hosting communities in Uganda
UNHCR/OPM - Uganda Refugee Response Plan (RRP) 2019-2020, Education Dashboard - Quarter 3, January - September 2020
Environment
Wetland degradation: Leaders blame refugees
An assessment of economic and environmental impacts of refugees in Nakivale, Uganda
UNHCR/OPM - Uganda Refugee Response Plan (RRP) 2020-2021, Environment & Energy Dashboard - Quarter 3, January - September 2020
Health:
Exploring the mental health and psychosocial problems of Congolese refugees living in refugee settings in Rwanda and Uganda: a rapid qualitative study
Localising Public Health: Refugee-led Organisations as first and last responders in Covid-19 - this research note draws on pre-pandemic research with around 80 RLOs and follow-up research with 15 in Uganda and Kenya who are actively responding to the pandemic and its effects. it identifies five key areas in which refugees are or could be involved as responders to COVID-19 and other pandemics: providing public information, supplementing capacity gaps, healthcare delivery, shaping social norms, and virus tracking and contact tracing. The research during COVID-19 shows how RLOs have pivoted their existing service provision to fill assistance gaps, including in areas directly related to public health.
A prolonged cholera outbreak caused by drinking contaminated stream water, Kyangwali refugee settlement, Hoima District, Western Uganda: 2018 - This team investigated the outbreak to determine the outbreak scope and risk factors for transmission and recommend evidence-based control measures.
Substance Use Disorders in Conflict-Displaced Populations (paid for content) - NB geographical focus unclear. Substance use is increasingly recognised as a major cause of morbidity and mortality in populations displaced by conflict. Alcohol use is the best studied. Male gender, older age, multiple traumatic episodes and co-existing depression, along with environmental changes such as increased alcohol availability, have been associated with increased alcohol use disorder in displacement. Transitions in substance use appear to reflect a combination of pre-displacement and host population patterns of use and are influenced by exposure to trauma and adaptation to a new post-conflict environment.
Evaluating two novel handwashing hardware and software solutions in Kyaka II refugee settlement, Uganda - The Promotion and Practice Handwashing Kit (PPHWK), and Mum’s Magic Hands (MMH) were evaluated in a clustered randomized controlled trial in Kyaka II. The trial evaluated whether their provision increased handwashing with soap practice among residents, with a focus on three community intervention arms (PPHWK+MMH, PPHWK only and control) and two school-based intervention arms (PPHWK and control). The findings suggest that exposure to both the PPHWK and MMH increased hygiene knowledge and handwashing behaviour with soap, and improved health outcomes. Intervention households also preferred the PPHWK over existing handwashing stations, typically a basic bucket with a tap.
A cohort study to assess a communication intervention to improve linkage to HIV care in Nakivale Refugee Settlement, Uganda (paid for content) - Communication interventions to enhance linkage to HIV care have been successful in sub-Saharan Africa but have not been assessed among refugees. Refugees and Ugandan nationals participating in HIV testing in Nakivale were offered weekly phone call and SMS reminders. The researchers assessed linkage to care and predictors of linkage within 90 days of testing, comparing Intervention participants to those unwilling or ineligible to participate (Non-Intervention).
UNHCR/OPM - Uganda Refugee Response Plan (RRP) 2020-2021, Health & Nutrition Dashboard - Quarter 3, January - September 2020
UNHCR/OPM - Uganda Refugee Settlements: COVID -19 Update 20 Oct; 21 Oct; 26 Oct; 28 Oct; 02 Nov; 4 Nov ; 6 Nov
UNHCR - East and Horn of Africa, and the Great Lakes - COVID-19 emergency response, External Update #23
U-Learn.Ground Truth Solutions - Covid-19 rumour tracking bulletin - November 2020
Livelihoods
IRC - COVID-19 and refugees' economic opportunities, financial services and digital inclusion - This research report - based on findings in refugee contexts in Jordan, Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia - finds that digital services such as mobile money can in theory be more accessible for refugees than standard bank accounts, in practice refugees continue to face barriers.
UNCDF - Webinar - Financial Inclusion for Refugees in Uganda
Effects of Limited Work Opportunities on Transitions to Adulthood among Young Refugees in Uganda and Jordan (paid for content) - Drawing from research undertaken with displaced children and youth in Uganda and Jordan, this article explores how a lack of work opportunities affects individual ability to achieve financial independence and, more widely, to obtain the social recognition associated with adulthood. The research finds how a dependence on precarious work and the effects of legal restrictions on employment curtail transitions to adulthood, highlighting the importance of national and humanitarian policy support to help young refugees establish stable livelihoods.
UNHCR/OPM - Uganda Refugee Response Plan (RRP) 2020-2021, Livelihoods & Resilience - Quarter 3, Jan - Sep 2020
UNHCR/OPM - Uganda Refugee Response Plan (RRP) 2020-2021, Food Security Dashboard - Quarter 3, January - September 2020
UNHCR/OPM - Uganda Refugee Response Plan (RRP) 2020-2021, Cash-Based Interventions Dashboard - Quarter 3, January - September 2020
FAO/UNDP - Experiences of safeguarding livelihoods and promoting resilience through National Adaptation Plans: Case study Uganda
Protection
Linking, Aligning and Convening Gender-Based Violence and Violence Against Children: Prevention and Response Services in Uganda’s Refugee-Hosting Districts - This publication details some of the responsive services and needs for holistic support to refugees, including mental health and psychosocial support. Community-based structures, such as para-social workers, child protection committees, and village health teams, play a key role in providing psychosocial support services to survivors, including counseling, advising them in seeking legal support, and linking them to NGOs for additional help. It details capacity building and training needs to equip these workers, case management approaches, design of child-friendly spaces and referral pathways.
REACH/UNHCR/WFP - Vulnerability and Essential Needs Assessment, Volume One, October 2020
Understanding the role of interpersonal violence in assisted partner notification for HIV: a mixed-methods study in refugee settlements in West Nile Uganda
UNHCR/OPM - Uganda Refugee Response Plan (RRP) 2020-2021, SGBV Dashboard - Quarter 3, January - September 2020
UNHCR/OPM - Uganda Refugee Response Plan (RRP) 2020-2021, Protection Dashboard - Quarter 3, Jan - Sep 2020
UNHCR/OPM - Uganda Refugee Response Plan (RRP) 2020-2021, Child Protection Dashboard - Quarter 3, January - September 2020
WASH
Surface Water Treatment in Palorinya Refugee Settlement, Uganda - After MSF handed over the operation of the plant to the Ugandan Red Cross Society and withdrew from Palorinya in December 2017, the WatSan Unit in Amsterdam (MSF-OCA) engaged one of the project’s WatSan managers to collate all the documentation from the intervention and provide a structured background narrative to accompany it. The result is this comprehensive report, which serves as a technical reference and field guideline.
UNHCR/OPM - Uganda Refugee Response Plan (RRP) 2020-2021, WASH Dashboard - Quarter 3, January - September 2020
Other:
Ground Truth Solutions - Refugee perception data in Uganda - November 2020
WFP East Africa: Regional Refugee Update - November 2020
FEWS-NET - Uganda Price Bulletin, November 2020
FEWS-NET - Uganda Food Security Outlook Update, October 2020 to May 2021
Measuring household food security through surveys: Do the characteristics of the enumerators matter? - The purpose of this paper is to explore the so‐called enumerator effect for an array of food security indicators that are commonly adopted for targeting, monitoring, and evaluation in humanitarian and development assistance. It found that the effect of the enumerator experience within the refugee context is the most relevant to the food indicators. Additionally, obtaining sensitive information on food shortage is more difficult when the interviewer comes from a similar socio‐cultural background as the interviewee. Moreover, we show that the enumerator effect leads to a bias in the food poor headcount, implying distortion in the targeting.
Using Virtual Reality for Peace Building in Refugee Camps of Northern Uganda
Financial Protection Forum - Data-Driven Development Response to Displacement Crisis in Uganda: The Displacement Crisis Response Mechanism
Exploring Refugee Administration Systems in Egypt, Jordan, and Uganda: A Comparative Study - This study compares three refugee administration models in the global south to one another: Egypt’s, Jordan’s, and Uganda’s.The aim is to spot both the successes and failures of each model in the three countries in terms of meeting the states’ obligations as per international law.
ILO - Impact of COVID-19 on young refugees and forcibly displaced youth in Uganda
UNHCR/OPM - October settlement profile: Palabek; Rwamwanja; Oruchinga; Palorinya; Kyangwali; Kyaka II; Nakivale; Adjumani; Lobule; Kiryandongo; Bidi Bidi; Rhino; Imvepi
UNHCR/OPM - Uganda Urban Profile Kampala- October 2020
UN Habitat/UNHCR - Nakivale Settlement Profile - Isingiro District, Uganda (July 2020) - this spatial profile provides a holistic analysis of the current situation of Nakivale and the surrounding Isingiro district. The profile’s analysis outlines the key trends, challenges and opportunities that frame the areas development potential through a spatial planning lens in order to understand what future interventions may be possible to ensure a sustainable future for the local communities. This summary highlights the emerging issues from the analysis and provides an perspective on the potential way forward.
Rwandan Refugee Physical (In) Security in Uganda: Views from Below
Cities and Migration, Arua, Uganda
U-Learn/WFP - Market Monitor - Refugee Hosting Areas | Refugee Settlement Price and Market Functionality Snapshot, 1-31 October 2020
UNHCR/OPM - Performance Snapshot, Uganda Refugee Response Plan (RRP) 2020-2021 - Quarter 3, January - September 2020
UNHCR Uganda Weekly Update 19 November 2020 and 12 November 2020
Transfer of Knowledge for and with Whom? Ethical Reflections on Participatory Research with Displaced People - discusses experiences in Uganda
UNHCR Uganda 2020 Funding Update (as of 10 November 2020)
OPM - Refugees & Asylum Seekers as of 02/Nov/2020
UNHCR/OPM - Refugees Statistics Dashboard - October, 2020
UNHCR/OPM - Refugee Statistics Map October 2020
IOM - Voluntary Repatriation and Reintegration of Burundian Refugees Plan 2020
Voluntary repatriation perspectives from the Great Lakes region: Kenya,Tanzania and Uganda
African Migrants and the Refugee Crisis - (paid for content) This book discusses African migration and the refugee crisis. Written by an international team of scholars, this edited book traces the refugee crisis around the world, telling the necessary story of forced migration, intentional exclusion, and human insecurity from an Afrocentric lens.
Training, Events etc:
7 December 2020 - Moving Life Forward and Sustainability of Youth Refugees in Uganda - Pilgrim Center for Reconciliation Uganda Forum in Conjunction with the Netherlands embassy Uganda shall hold the first ever international youth refugee peace and reconciliation Forum in Kampala. The forum aims to attract 100 representatives of urban refugees from over 15 countries and will be held at Seguku Worship Center, along Entebbe road.